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Can I get into med school with a B.S.N?

I want to become a doctor who also performs surgical procedures (I don't know what I want to specialize in yet) but if I get a B.S.N. can I still get into med school to pursue that path?

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Karissa’s Answer

You have to score a 30 or better on the MCAT. If you score below that becoming a surgeon is not a realistic goal. The MCAT covers Biology, Chemistry and Physics. This includes organic chemistry. You could take these classes for your electives or take extra classes. Maybe you got AP credits for these classes and need to take a MCAT prep course. These courses run about $2,000. There are many paths to becoming a surgeon.

Karissa recommends the following next steps:

Buy a MCAT book
Take MCAT practice tests
Take classes at your university that addresses your weaknesses
Don't waste time on nursing exams because they do not cover same material as the MCAT
Thank you comment icon Hi Karissa, I'm afraid you found some outdated information! Since 2015, the MCAT score range has been 472-528, with the 50th percentile being ~500. Additionally, the MCAT is used for medical school admission, while the USMLE Step 1 and 2 are the relevant exams for residency placement. Medical schools now evaluate applicants holistically, so admission is based on experiences and competencies in addition to academic metrics like GPA and MCAT. A wide range of MCAT scores is considered admissible, particularly when applicants have robust experiences and can clearly articulate their motivation and fit for the profession. Thankfully, most schools are now looking beyond numbers to ensure medical students also have the right attitudes and mindsets to be excellent medical providers! Mary Jane Shroyer
Thank you comment icon You mention "score range" and "MCAT scores" which may be confusing to a high school student. Please give Chastity an idea of what an acceptable MCAT scores is to obtain entrance into an MD program in the US. Karissa Helton
Thank you comment icon Sure! The AAMC reports MCAT scores for applicants admitted between 2021 and 2024 ranged from "Less than 486" to "Greater than 517". Most admitted students had scores over 509 but 1/3 had scores below that mark. These data can be found on the AAMC's 2023 FACTS website, particularly Table A-23. BIPOC students may also be interested in A-18. Students must remember holistic review focuses on more than a test score. You'll note 17% scoring over 517 with 3.8-4.0 GPAs were not admitted. Experience and character matter! https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/students-residents/data/2023-facts-applicants-and-matriculants-data Mary Jane Shroyer
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Mary Jane’s Answer

Hi Chastity! The minimum requirements for applying to medical school are that you complete a Bachelor's degree, complete prerequisite science classes, and take the MCAT exam. Prerequisites vary by medical school but the standard courses are a year each of biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and English, plus some college math (usually calculus or statistics). About half the med schools now require biochemistry, and it's tested on the MCAT, along with psychology and sociology. You can major in anything as long as you complete the prereqs.

Having said that, while a BSN does not prevent someone from attending medical school, it also is not a common degree among med school applicants. Nursing and medicine use different approaches to patient care, so you would need to explain in your application process why you committed to nursing but are ditching it to pursue medicine. There certainly have been nurses who have later gone to medical school, but it's not a common path. I suspect one reason for that is that it may be difficult to articulate a medical model mindset when an applicant has been steeped in the nursing model for so much training.

Additionally, a BSN will have many clinical requirements that might be challenging to complete while also taking so many premedical science classes. I would encourage you to shadow and do informational interviews to determine which profession is the best fit for you before you spend a lot of time going down a career track that doesn't serve your goals.

Here's a link to medical school prereqs: https://students-residents.aamc.org/medical-school-admission-requirements/required-premedical-coursework-and-competencies

And here's one to the premedical competencies: https://students-residents.aamc.org/real-stories-demonstrating-premed-competencies/premed-competencies-entering-medical-students
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Rita’s Answer

I agree with the above. If you are going to medical school, usually you don't have a degree in nursing. Most doctors have degree in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Psychology etc but it's not a requirement. If you are interested in surgery, you decide that during medical school.

I recommend all premedical students work as a medical scribe. This gives you experience, they pay you, you can interact with doctors and see what they actually do. If you don't like it, then you don't waste time and money in schooling for medicine.
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Madison’s Answer

YES! You can have any bachelors degree, truly any subject, however there are certain number of pre-requisite courses required for the general medical school application which you can find on the med school application national website and it will list out exactly which number of credits and courses you need to apply to med school. You can usually achieve these with a non science major but may take more time. However, it also looks wonderful to have a nursing degree and shows your interest in medicine and is definitely not a negative!
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Hajar’s Answer

BSN degree counts as a bachelor's degree for going into medical school, although you should make sure you have taken all necessary prerequisite courses required by each medical school you apply to
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